• What conditions existed in the United States which allowed the Industrial Revolution to take root and flourish in America ? The abundance of renewable and non renewable resources allowed for the production of many goods. When African Americans were found they were used as a slave, which was unethical but provided the states with a workforce. Also the many inventions created by American scientist during the time created a huge leap in progress.

  • How did laissez-faire capitalism influence the development of business organization in the United States ? Laissez-faire capitalism allowed for smaller businesses to rise while the larger businesses could stay at the top by setting prices and trying to keep smaller businesses down. Along the way smaller businesses rose into big businesses and thus they were able to make a large amount of money and the circle would restart.

  • Were the leaders of Big Business "robber barons," or in fact "captains of industry?"
Some were considered robber barons because they would cheat people out of there money, and some were captains of industry because they actually did what was best for the company and not just for themselves.

  • How did some philosophies serve to support class division during the Gilded Age?

  • How did the Industrial Revolution cause urbanization and a dramatic increase in the number of immigrants to the United States ? The results of urbanization caused poor living conditions, such as, badly made homes, no sewage system, small living space (due to families forced to live together), and pollution, which resulted in poor health. These places were known as 'slums'

  • What effect did urbanization and immigration have on the United States ?
The physical growth of natural land, including a growth of population in bigger cities.

  • Why have many historians considered the late 1800's in America to be a Gilded Age; a period which was outwardly showy, but inwardly corrupt? New waves of immigration, changes in the cites, the dawn of mass culture, and the emergence of the political machines.

  • How did early reaction to the Gilded Age attempt to correct the abuses of the period?



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